Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-30

rell disappeared. sprang to the cup
board and took two candles cut of u box,
and at once went to kide them In my
room. When the widow came buck
saying she could not find her brother
had seen him leave the
house some time before-I apologizsd
and professed to have misunderstood.
the message. She resumed her reading,
while l slipped out of the room and
hastily put ON my outdoor garments. 1
knew that in going out without leave at
such moment l rlsked losing my situa-
tion, but did not care, l was In no mood
to stand upon etiquette.
l made my way to the village. to the
cottage of a trustworthy MAN who was
sometimes employed to do odd JOBS
aboat the Hall. He readily promised to
take my small parcel to DIR. Archer at
once. Had the distance not been three
miles should have taken it myself.
l heard nothing from De. Archer DUR
ing the next day, and in perfect tor
ment of doubt and apprehension waited
and waited, too agitated to eat or sleep
seeing Edith grow worse every hour.
and fearing that after all she would die
before the mystery of her illness could
be solved. She was in a state of pros
tration fearful to witness. Restless and
miserable. sat in the siek-room or WAN
dered about the house, and had the fur
ther trial of seeing that my behavior
had at last aroused suspicion IN my en-
ployer's mind, and that quiet surveil-
lance was kept upon my movements.
Although l mad no appointment, and
scarcely expected to meet DIR. Archer. 1
endeavored to be in the afternoon In the
fir plantation which had already been
the scene of several interviews; but Mr-
Foster SO decidedly intimated his inten-
ton to accompanying me if 1 took a
walk that abandoned the attempt 1
detected under the mask of grief so
cleverly assumed by both brother and
sister subdued eagerness and RESTLESS
ness, attributable no doubt to anxiety as
to the success of their scheme.
1 felt that all was as good as lost when
on entering the sick-room on the second
morning found Edith pallid and almost
lifeiess and learned that Mrs. Morrell, In
real or pretended alarm. had already
sent off messenger for DIR. Stevens.
Sick at heart, sat down by the bed
side and watched the invalid, who WAS
too far gone to recognize me, as she u.s.
ually did. There oane a tap at the
door. and "Please, ma am. you're want
ed," in the voice of one OF the maids.
and the widow rose and noiselessIy giif-
ed cut of the room. My ears wers
quickened by anxiety, and my curiosity
was intense at hearing a short. sharp
scream, a scuffle and the sound o6 an
authoritative mans voice on the landing
outside. Edith was to languid to notice
anything; and even when the door
opened again and Dr.. Archer and an
elderly gentleman entered the room she
never opened her eyes.
my darling, Have the wretchss
brought you to this" was the young
Doctors quick exclamation; and hurry
ing to the window, which Mrs Morrel
had always religiously kept closed. he
opened it, and stream OF chilly. but
life-giving air came rushing in- The
other Doctor, who was as / afterward
found, an eminent physician from LON
don. bett over the pat ent examining
her pulse and administering restoratiNes.
l glanced interrogatively at DR.. Archer
and murmured one word.
"rhose candlesa Poisoned. Thorough
ly impreguated with arsenic. A very
few nights more of breathing the poi-
soned air and nothing could have saved
her. 1 don't know how you came to hit
upon the clue so cieverly, Miss Armf-
tage; but shall bless your sagacity all
my life long
s.Aud Mira. Morrell and her brothers'
care safely in charge OF two police
men and on their way to the County
Jail. analysed those candles at onee
and then applied for a magistrates war.
rant, telegraphing for DIR. Weston to
meet me here. The policemen in plain
clothes were detailed for the arrest, and
the affair was managed very quietly. so
that even the servants do not know
precisely what has happened Mr..
Foster was arrested In his study and
made no resistance, although be assumed
a high tone of injured innocence. Do
you know, Miss Armitage. where the
rest of the poisoned candles are kept"
In reply l opened the door of the
cupboard and pointed to the rows of
boxes. He and DIR. Weston then care
fully locked and sealed up the doar,
until the state of the invalid should
permit q fuller investigation of the
apartment. Dr. Archer then informed
me that a nurse had been telegraphed
for from the Nurses Home at the coun-
cry town. and that 1 need feel mo-
apprehension lest Eiilh should suffer
from want of skilled attendance.
Nurse Mary soon after arrived, and
proved invaluable. ALI her care and
skill. however, were needed to counterlrct
the effects of the poison upon Edith's
delicate frame. For days she hung
between life and death. Her convaIes-
encs was long and tedious; but at length
she recovered sufficiently to leave Cor
ton Hall for the Isle of Wight, whare
the pure sea breezes soon brought back
the color to her cheeks
Investigation proved that the candles
similar to those which had been burned
nightly in the sick room for over two
months were highly deleterious. The
W. x was pure but the wieks were highly
by strong solution of
arsenic. The remainder were anaIyzad
and from them much of the poisonous
drug was extracted. Tha closest re-
search, however failed to discover from
whom they had been originally procured
Beyond the fact that the boxes came.
from London, their origin remains
mystery to this day. The plans of the
conspirators had been so eleveriy Land
that it was almost impossible to bring
their wrong-doing home to them.
l wish could say that both Edith's
treacherous guardians received an ex-
emplary punishment. but unfortunately
punishment in this world does not
always overtake the criminal MIR. Foa-
ter maintained the assertion of his inno-
cence to the last; nor was there but one
title of evidence. direct or Indirect
against him. Ably defended by a most
skillful advocate he escaped absolutely
scot free. Mrs. Morrell maintained
the same line of conduct, and was merely
to Imprisonment for two years.
DR.. Archer and [ were aghast and bit